Joe Nicholson's verdict: Middlesbrough deployed West Brom blueprint against Leeds United with limited success

Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat to promotion-chasing Leeds United wan’t a huge surprise as Boro’s Championship winless run stretched to nine games.

Yet the manner of the Teessiders’ sudden plight has only intensified pressure on head coach Jonathan Woodgate, with his side sinking fast.

Only goal difference is keeping Boro out of the bottom three, and they could drop into the mire ahead of Monday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest.

Woodgate said after the game that his side’s performance was ‘miles better’ than recent displays against Luton and Barnsley, yet that only shows the severity of Boro’s situation.

The hosts put up a decent fight against Marcelo Bielsa’s in-form team but were second best for most of the evening.

If it wasn’t for a couple of sharp saves from goalkeeper Aynsley Pears and crucial challenges from defender Ryan Shotton, the scoreline could have looked worse.

Woodgate will argue his side caused problems on the break and there were times when Leeds’ desire to attack left the visitors exposed at the back.

In Hayden Coulson and Marcus Tavernier Boro had pace to cause problems on the counter attack, yet their play in the final third was wasteful at best.

Frontman Ashley Fletcher spent most of the night on the fringes before coming off with a hamstring injury, and it seems like a long time ago since the striker netted six goals in nine games.

Woodgate’s decision to revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation was surely made with Fletcher in mind, and the forward’s best performances have come when he’s been the main man up top.

The change of shape also reflected the tactics Woodgate deployed in December’s 2-0 win at West Brom – by far Boro’s best result of the season so far.

On that day George Saville and Adam Clayton provided a layer of protection in front of the back four, yet the same combination struggled to combat Leeds’ free-flowing midfield.

Some slick passing moves from Mateusz Klich and Pablo Hernandez opened Boro up on multiple occasion, while the visitors also looked dangerous in wide areas.

Leeds wingers Helder Costa and Jack Harrison were regularly switching flanks, with Costa causing constant problems for Boro left-back George Friend.

Like Fletcher, the Boro captain was forced off with a hamstring issue in the second half which will only add to the Teessiders’ misery.

With just 11 games to go and the club’s Championship status on the line, it remains a big concern that Woodgate doesn’t appear to know his best team or formation.

The Boro boss will point to the way he altered his side at Preston at the start of the year, just days after the win at West Brom.

Yet Woodgate’s decisions in recent weeks haven’t worked, and Boro have lost confidence at a key stage of the season.